Beebigerating-gas and process oe making the same



AI-nuns c. cnawrenn,

to be liquefied under a STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OI OHIOLGO, ILLINOIS, LSBIGRGI 0! GIN-EAL! 1'0 SLICK Wj. SEAMAN, 01 OEIOLGO, ILLINOIS.

ll'o Drawing.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, Arenas G. Cnawronn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of. Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a cially for refrigeration purpoeea'possess ob-.

noxious properties and are objectionable in that they not only are poisonous and corrosive to the ipes or receptacles in which they are used,= ut also require a heavy pressure to condense them into the liquid state.

This invention relates to an improved refrigeratin gas produced by mixing a small amount o liquid sulfur dioxid, but not .suflicient to corrode, with h dro-car gases obtained from casing he gas, or w z, those hydro-carbonsof low boiling oint belonging to the paraflin or olefin ,ethylene) series. The resultant refrigerating gas is nonpoisonous, has practically no corrosive efl' 'ect upon ipes or receptacles in which it 1s used, has a ow boiling point, and furthermore can be li uefied under a. low pressure.

It is an object of this. invention toprovide a refrigerant by mixing liquid sulfur dioxid with a to produce a gas having a lower point than sit er Of'fl'IBSQ two materials and adapted pressure less than that required for the liquefication of the refrigerants now in common use.

It is also an object of the invention to produce a refrigerating gas by mixing liquid sulfur dioxid with a liquid hydro-carbon of a relatively low boiling point whereby a refrigerant 13 produced having a varyingboiling point dependent span the proportions of the sulfur dioxid gas used, which is not suflicient to cause appreciable corrosion.

The followingis a full, clear and exact description of the ingredients and process of mixing the same to form a refrigerating gas covering the principles ofthis m-vention.

To form a refrigerating, gas producingthe most satisfactory result commercially, having a very low boiling point, and adapt- Specification of amen mm,

Application filed February 9-5, 1010. Serial Io. 819,119.

ed to be liquefied under a low pressure, of boiling point, -17

Patented Dem 23. 1919.

say approximately 40 pounds per square inch, a chief ingredient consisting of hydrocarbon gases usually found in casing head gas containing fie percents of propane and butane, 1s The re 'geratmg liquid will have a. variable boiling int, depending upon the percentages o propane and butane contained in the'hydro-carbon gas used. Propane, C H,,, has a boiling polntof 45 (3., and butane, C, H, has a boiling point of +1 (1., so that a mixture of these gases, as found in casing head as, will have a varying boiling oint, depen mg upon the percentage of hy ro-carbon gases present.

It has been found that by addin to the liquefied hydro-carbon uses, a smal quantity of liquid sulfur dioxid, which has a boiling point of 10 (3., a much lower boiling point is obtained in the resulting mixture than that of the gases comprisin the mixture. When the liqpid sulfur dioxi is added to the liquefied ydro-carbon gas a violent boiling takes place and then a mechanical separation occurs in which the liquid sulfur dioxid, being,heavier, settles to the bottom of the container and can be drawn ofl', leaving a resultant liquid which still has the same low boilingpoint as the original mixture and contains only a small percentage of sulfur dioxid. A stable liquefiable gas is thus obtained, which, on account of the very small percentage of sulfur dioxid gas remaining therein is practically non-corrosive and does not destroy articles with which it may come into contact in a refrigerating machine, should some parts of the machine fail.

A. refrigerating li uefiable gas having a boiling point of -17. 7 C. is obtainable by mixing a small quantity of liquid sulfur dioxi with a hydro-carbon composed chiefly of propane and butane having an initial boiling point of -8 C., for example, by adding 30 arts by weiilt of liquid sulfur dioxid, w, 'ch has a. iling point of -10 (3., to 70 parts by weight of a hydrocarbon having a boiling point of '8 0., a mixture is obtained having a boiling point of +1717 C. After the mixture has stood a few minutes the liquid sulfur dioxid separates and, being heavier, settles to the bottom of the container and is drawn elf, leaving a refrigerant liq'pid ha the same low 7? C. refrigerant oint of +13- C. and containing meant. by weight of sulfur dioxid in "he liquid made acoordingto contains 3.5 per telt I dioxid in the fini l igdji 11 A mixture of IQ cent. q dioxid and 90 ee-mea er},

wei ht, having aboilln'g'pomfijo ucesa liquid refr gerant having,

fled roducti" "A of 5 per cent. of sulfur dioxid with 95 -per "cent. of a hydro-carbon by weight with a boiling point of 0., after drawing of the liquid sulfur d1oxid, roduces a refri rating point of 1 C. an cent. ished product.

Above results indicate conclusively that the addition of a relatively small amount of liquid sulfur dioxid to a hydro-carbon gas, as re resented in the above illustrative cases, pro uses a highly eilicient refrigerating gas "which has a lower boiling .point than either of the two above gases comprising the mixture. It has also been found that instead of increasing the pressure necessary to liquefy the refrigerating gas, the

ressure necessary toconvert the refrigeratmg gas into the liquid state is actually diminished. Consequently the resulting gas is more readily available for refrigerating containing 1.24 er purposes and can be adapted commercially commonly used in refrigeration.

with comparatively cheap installation, due to the fact that it has a very low boiling point, and because it can be liquefied under lower pressures than any of the gases now Furthermore, due to the small amount of sulfur dioxid remaining in the refrigerating gas, the gas is not obnoxious and the corrosive action is so slight as to be practically negligible. Consequently the refrigerant, owing to the above named characteristics, is particularly adapted for use in light, small or ortable machines.

his refrigerant is also peculiarly adapted for large commercial lants. In such plants, heretofore, because 0 the exceedingly heavy pressure necessary with carbon dioxid, ammonia and sulfur dioxid, the installation has of necessitybeen massive. Powerful compressors have been required, and, owing to v danger to the plantand the operators is always present, due to the aforesaid corrosive action and due to the exceedingly high pressure at which the refrigerant is used and the noxious properties thereof, should s having a lid ing by weight of sulfur dioxid in'the n-' I refrigeration. Much lighter constructions of compressors and other operative elements of the system is permitted and any desired metal, including aluminum, may be used.

The initial expense for the construction oflarge refrigerating units is thus materially reduced and greater safety and reliability of operation is obtained, as well as eoon omies effected both in the rice of the refriIgerant and in the cost-o operation.

t will be found that bymixing liquid sulfur dioxid with other h dro-carbon gases, such as those from the olefine or ethylene series, similar results are obtainable, but on account of the cheapness and abundance of the casing head gas, the same is preferably used with liquid sulfur dioxid to obtain the desired refrigerating gas for commercial use.

It will of course be understood'that other hydro-carbon gases than those mentioned may be mixed with liquid sulfur dioxid to produce a refrigerant embodying the principles of this invention, and that ammonia gas or carbon dioxid gas may be substituted for or used in conjunction with the sulfur dioxid to form a refrigerant possessing commercial advantages over ammonia and other refrigerants at present in common use. Numerous other details of the invention may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles thereof, and I therefore ,do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The process of forming a refrigerant by mixing liquid sulfur dioxld with a liquefied' hydro-carbon gas.

2. The process of forming a refrigerant by mixing liquid sulfur dioxid with a liquefied hydro-carbon gas permltting the mixture to stand until the sulfur dioxidhas settled and then drawing off the settled liquid sulfur dioxid.

3. A refrigerant comprising a mixture of liquid sulfur dioxid with a liquefied hydrocarbon gas, the mixture having a lower boiling point than either of said constituents alone.

4. A refrigerating gas comprising a mixture of sulfur dioxid with gases obtained from easing head gas. 7

5. A refrigerant comprising a mixture of sulfur dioxid, butane and propane gases.

'6. A refrigerant comprising a mixture of sulfur dioxid gas with a hydro-carbon mixture consisting mainly of butane and propane.

7. A refrigerant comprising butane and subscribed my name in the presence of two priepane and a trace 0% sulfur) dioxid, said subscribing witnesses. re rigerunt havinr u ower oiling point 7 than either the mixture of butane and pro- ALBERT CRAWFORD 5 pane alone, or the sulfur dioxid used in the Witnesses:

mixture. LAWRENCE Rnmsrnm,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr. 

